7/30 afternoon roundup: Morneau, Betancourt, Correia and the Phillies

• Justin Morneau has been a cornerstone in Minnesota for almost a decade, but the Twins are willing to part ways. FOX’s Ken Rosenthal tweets that Minnesota wants a Major League-ready starting pitcher, and negotiations would require working out the remaining $19 million on Morneau’s salary. The Blue Jays, Dodgers and Giants are reportedly interested.
• Cliff Lee is on the block, Shane Victorino’s name is floating around and Hunter Pence also seems to be a trade candidate. Hardly anyone in Philadelphia is untouchable these days, with the Giants inquiring about Pence, says CBS’ Jon Heyman.
• As dismal as the Rockies have been this season, they’ve had a couple reliable bullpen pieces that teams have their eye on as the Deadline nears. Rafael Betancourt, a veteran with plenty of late-inning experience, is one of them. The Denver Post’s Troy Renck reports the A’s, Braves, Blue Jays, Rangers and Angels could all be potential suitors. Lefty Matt Reynolds is also in the mix.
• The Indians have faded behind the White Sox and Tigers in the AL Central race, and that means they’ll be listening to calls about closer Chris Perez and outfielder Shin-Soo Choo.
• The Pirates are one of the most unlikely stories in baseball this year, over-exceeding even the wildest expectations. But Kevin Correia, relegated to the bullpen recently, tells the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review he wants out.

– Joey Nowak